


Asking for a unicorn

by PersuadedMeIntoIt



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: #Brexit, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Humor, Granby loves Hats, Iskierka loves Fashion, Kind of a slow burn, M/M, Perscitia loves Twitter, Temeraire hates Bananas, awkward!Laurence, dragons and technology, dragons in lockdown, mysterious!Tharkay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:07:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29560257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersuadedMeIntoIt/pseuds/PersuadedMeIntoIt
Summary: Laurence could feel the familiar sweat of awkward social interactions breaking out on his forehead and hands. But it was not even his fault; how was he supposed to know this bloke's last name when Temeraire introduced him differently! Now that Tenzing - Mr. Tharkay, damn it! - was standing next to Temeraire Laurence could feel his hawk-like eyes boring into him. He didn’t like the feeling. Not in the slightest. It felt like Mr. Tharkay knew Laurence had just called him by the wrong name again in his mind.
Relationships: John Granby/Augustine Little, William Laurence/Tenzing Tharkay
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Asking for a unicorn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NonBinaryStars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NonBinaryStars/gifts).



> For NonBinaryStars. Dearest, you have made my experience of reading the books so very special! And I hope this will make you smile and laugh :) 
> 
> To anyone who hasn't read the Compass Series by NonBinaryStars - what are you even doing here? Go and read it! I promise you it will be so worth it.
> 
> And to all of you lovely people out there reading this in these uncertain and frankly scary times :) I was desperately in need of a laugh and I had a blast writing this :D I hope I can bring a little bit of sunshine and laughter into your life with this fic. 
> 
> And now, without further ado - enjoy my plot bunnies running wild in a one-shot that got thoroughly out of hand.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor the original story. All of that belongs to her highness, Naomi Novik, and I thank her for tolerating my modern take on the story.
> 
> ...oh yes, and also: I hid a few easter eggs of my favourite books and shows in the story, usually one sentence. Check out the End Notes for more information, but it goes without saying that I do not own these books and shows either.

“ _OH! Ohhh ohh NO!! Oh nononono NO!”_

Confused, Laurence lifted his gaze from his screen to his new colleague.

“ _No, no, no, this is absolutely incorrect! Perscitia will have to set them straight. What utter nonsense!”_

_“I’m sorry, is something the matter?”_

“ _Oh Laurence, I didn’t mean to distract you. It’s just - Perscitia has only now tweeted that the British are asking the EU for a unicorn and that just cannot be right!”_

This sentence didn’t do anything whatsoever to dissipate Laurence’s confusion. If anything, he was now even more confused, though the name Perscitia rang a very distant bell. So he inquired politely “ _A unicorn_?”

“ _Well, yes, you see, Perscitia and her Wellington are part of the negotiating team for Brexit and apparently they have now breached the topic of magical animals, at least according to her recent tweet. But unicorns are extinct, have been for a few centuries now - everyone knows that -, so this is absolute drivel! But don’t you worry, Laurence, Perscitia and Wellington will set them straight. I am sure of it. They have it all well in hand._ ”

“ _I am glad to hear it_ ,” Laurence replied, trying to keep any trace of bewilderment from his voice, while silently asking himself again why he thought changing his job from the Navy to _“Lenton’s Admirable IT Services”_ had been a good idea. It was almost as if he had lost a part of his memory. One minute he was a communications specialist on board the HMS Allegiance, sailing merrily from Australia to Japan, the next he was working side by side with dragons on a top-secret project the government had requested his current company’s services for. And all that very much on land, and not at all aboard the ships he was used to. Try as he might, he could not remember the reason for this quite significant alteration in his life and with a sigh, Laurence turned his attention back to his current assignment. 

Temeraire had also resumed his work, dictating his voice assistant Sipho on his iDragon the next lines of his code. 

Perscitia. 

The name still rang that distant bell in Laurence's mind and after trying for half an hour to resist the temptation, he gave in, opened Google, and typed “ _Perscitia Wellington Brexit_ ”. 

His screen was now jam-packed with the search results, mostly newspaper articles, and the obligatory Google picture search results appearing right on top. 

_Ah_. 

Perscitia was another dragon. Just like Temeraire. 

Well, no, not at all like Temeraire, but still a dragon nonetheless. Now that he saw her picture, he could remember seeing her on TV for the first time about five years ago. He had nearly suffocated when the shock of seeing an actual dragon on the telly had firmly pushed his morning coffee into the wrong direction, straight down his windpipe. The dragon had been doing … well, politics, of all things, and together with this Mr. -- no, Duke Wellington. It looked like the two of them were still doing this, being part of the Brexit negotiating team and all. 

Seeing dragons in his daily life had become less exceptional ever since that memorable morning and it embarrassed Laurence every time to think how he had managed to miss them before. Even his mother was astonished at his reaction to Perscitia, chiding him that it was the 21st century after all and dragons were just as much his fellow citizens as other humans. Laurence tried to reason with himself that with him being a former Navy officer and an IT specialist on top - meaning he hadn't spent much time outside of his office onboard the ship - most of his life so far had taken place in a completely dragon-free environment. Dragons were now more of an obstacle to modern warfare rather than the centrepiece of the aerial forces they had been for so many centuries and thus didn't make an appearance in the military. But that was a poor excuse for completely missing out on the draconic empowerment movement of the last twenty years and Laurence knew it. It was rather humiliating. 

Temeraire’s low and rumbling voice brought Laurence back to the present and although his fingers itched to browse Perscitia’s Twitter account, he sternly told himself to stick to his duty to the company and do his work first. He could still indulge in his dragon stalking later this evening. 

*

“ _A unicorn?”_ Little’s eyebrow expressed the confusion and scepticism Laurence himself had felt this afternoon, though he had miraculously managed to keep **his** eyebrow in check so as to not appear disrespectful towards Temeraire. 

_“I am just as mystified as you are. Give me a minute and I will try to find the tweet.”_

His flatmate hummed in assent and turned a critical eye to his pasta on the stove. The sauce smelt mouthwatering and once again Laurence spoke a silent prayer of gratitude to the Gods who had blessed him not only with a flatmate who liked cooking but also with one who did not mind sharing these delicious pieces of heavenly goodness with Laurence. Laurence's own endeavours into the forays of cooking had too often ended in a sad heap of charcoal on every kitchen surface imaginable and he had resigned himself to a lifetime of take-away and of being forever at the mercy of his flatmates and family. 

Twitter soon graced him with the search result he was looking for:

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia, my love, might I ask your help in my endeavour to demonstrate to the British public the current state of affairs in our negotiations for Brexit? _#Brexit #HelpMeOut #BeingAPoliticianIsHard_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @dukewellington: Certainly you may! _#Brexit #IWillHelpYouOut #BeingAPoliticianIsHard #TellMeAboutIt_

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia: EU, we want a unicorn! _#Brexit #BrexitIn5Words #AskingForAUnicorn_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @dukewellington: my dear Britain, unicorns do NOT exist. Might I tempt you with this pony instead? _#Brexit #5WordsIsNotEnough #Pony4Brexit_

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia: We vote against your pony! _#Brexit #UnicornsAgainstBrexit #BEINGAPOLITICIANISHARD_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @dukewellington: Well then, I am sorry, but we have discussed this in detail and I can offer you a pony or nothing. _#Brexit #PonyOrNothing #BrexitMeansBrexitMeansPonyOrNothing_

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia: We vote against your pony. _#Brexit #LetsVoteAgainstPony #BrexitMeansBrexitMeansNoPony_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @dukewellington: Alright, then you get nothing! _#Brexit #NothingItIs #YouDontWantThePonyYouDontGetThePony_

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia: We vote against your nothing! _#Brexit #ICantBelieveWeAreDoingThis #LetsVoteAgainstNothing_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @dukewellington: I beg your pardon? _#Brexit #BeHappyIAmPoliteToYou #BrexitMeansBrexitMeansWhatNow?_

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia: We need more time to think! _#Brexit #FourYearsAreNotEnough #MaybeYouCanGoLookForTheUnicornAgain?_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @dukewellington: About the pony or nothing? _#Brexit #LosingMyPatience #UnicornsAgainstBrexit #PonysAgainstBrexit #NothingAgainstBrexit_

**ArthurWellesley** (@dukewellington): @iamperscitia: We want a unicorn! _#Brexit #BringOutTheUnicorn #WhatHaveWeDone #IToldYouItWasHard_

**Perscitia** (@iamperscitia): @TheLastLeg _#IsItOkay_ to ask for a unicorn? 

“ _Oh…_ ”

Little turned to look over Laurence's shoulder on his screen. When he was finished doubling over with laughter he patted Laurence on the arm and managed to produce _“Hell, Laurence, please let me meet this colleague of yours. He has an excellent sense of humour!”_ in between hiccups of laughter. 

Laurence only scowled. 

\---

“ _Tenzing! Ohh Tenzing, come over here, come here, it is so good to see you!”_

Laurence thought he had gotten used to draconic facial features expressing emotions just as vividly as humans did, and yet Temeraire still managed to surprise him sometimes. The degree of sheer joy written over his face at present made Laurence assume that another dragon was about to approach. Probably someone Temeraire hadn’t seen in a while, maybe a family member or a dear friend. His joy was contagious and Laurence found the corners of his mouth stretch into a hesitant smile when he turned around to greet their visitor. Temeraire and Laurence were colleagues and sharing the same office after all, and he wanted Temeraire to know he made an effort to be attentive and accommodating towards his acquaintances. 

His smile froze just a little on the edges when he discovered that Tenzing was by no means a dragon. He was a human. About Laurence's height, moving with sure and smooth motions towards them, dressed as inconspicuously as Laurence had ever seen a man dress. Everything about this Tenzing seemed to be so inconspicuous that Laurence was hard-pressed to find words for it. He could not even put a name to the colour of his jacket for heaven’s sake. It actually made him a little self-conscious about his pink shirt and neon green glasses.

“ _Tenzing, please meet my new colleague, William Laurence. Laurence, this is Tenzing.”_

_“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Tenzing."_

_“Tharkay.”_

_“I beg your pardon?”_

_“My name. It’s Mr. Tharkay.”_

Well, this was going well. 

Laurence could feel the familiar sweat of awkward social interactions breaking out on his forehead and hands. But it was not even his fault; how was he supposed to know this bloke's last name when Temeraire introduced him differently! Now that Tenzing - Mr. Tharkay, damn it! - was standing next to Temeraire Laurence could **feel** his hawk-like eyes boring into him. He didn’t like the feeling. Not in the slightest. It felt like Mr. Tharkay **knew** Laurence had just called him by the wrong name again in his mind. 

Laurence decided that cool politeness would be the way to proceed and so he answered with a slight chill to his voice “ _My pleasure, Mr. Tharkay._ ” and, turning to Temeraire, added “ _Well, gentlemen, I won’t keep you any longer. You will probably have a lot to discuss._ ” 

Temeraire seemed a little unsettled by the change in the atmosphere but decided that brimming with joy was infinitely preferable to awkwardly watching two men trying **not** to make conversation, so he started to beam again and began asking Mr. Tharkay questions. 

Disgruntled and with a large sore spot on his pride, Laurence grabbed his headphones, determined to not let this encounter ruin his so far pretty average day. 

\---

John Granby didn’t look like a man with many regrets. Considering the monstrosity of a hat he was wearing and the incredible amount of glitter and - well, for the lack of a better word -“ _bling_ ” someone had managed to amass on every available square centimetre of his clothing, Laurence was astounded to see how much Granby didn’t seem to take notice that even the most exotic peacock would pale against his ensemble. And all that in spite of the fact that he was missing one arm.

“ _John Granby, pleasure to meet you_!” 

His grin was effortless and open, his handshake firm and Laurence made the split-second decision that - whatever the man's taste in fashion - he would like Granby. 

“ _William Laurence, the pleasure is mine!”_ he replied and meant it. 

Temeraire had invited Laurence over to his place for the first time. Laurence had never been to a dragon flat and jumped at the opportunity to get to see one. And it was not only curiosity which had prompted him to accept the invitation, no -- Laurence **liked** Temeraire. Very much. 

After having worked with him now for more than three months, Laurence felt more at ease in his company than he had ever felt in any human company, including that of Little and his mother. Laurence's knack for turning the most unremarkable social situations into an awkward disaster on account of the fact that he just always - ALWAYS! - seemed to miss the most obvious of things and then just had to bumble through it all, all the while knowing that there surely had been a much smoother approach to it - well, this trait did not always endear him to his fellow humans. Or to himself, for that matter.

Temeraire was different. He never assumed Laurence had all the necessary facts available to make a proper assessment of the situation. He also understood Laurence's reluctance to ask questions which he deemed too personal or rude, even though asking them might have relieved him of the burden of bumbling through. 

Temeraire patiently explained anything and everything Laurence wanted to know but did not want to ask for explicitly. Temeraire had once told him that he had had the opportunity to travel far and wide and he was thus familiar with the feeling of not knowing exactly what was going on.

" _And_ ," he had added with a deep sigh, " _you know Laurence, there are still so many prejudices against dragons here in Britain, so I am quite used to explaining myself. But I like explaining things to you -- you really care and then it is very fun!"_

He was right, it was fun. Surprisingly so. And Temeraire was not the only one having some explaining to do - once they had understood that they worked awfully well together, Temeraire never missed an opportunity to ask Laurence copious amounts of questions about all sorts of things. These questions ranged from extraordinarily intelligent to just plain weird. 

Laurence started to develop an understanding of the fact that Temeraires life was based on values and convictions fundamentally different from his own and ever more frequently - especially after discussing one of the more unorthodox questions - he found that his view of the world needed adjusting. 

Six months ago, Laurence would not even have known that his city held special apartments and buildings for dragons, whereas the Laurence of the presence was literally itching to understand this fascinating architecture better. It came with a completely heated floor, after all! And Granby stood in the enormous vestibule (also filled with an unbelievable amount of " _bling_ " as Laurence noted) like he owned the place. Laurence was then astonished to learn that he, in fact, **did** own the place. Sort of. Or maybe not? It had something to do with Iskierka, Temeraire's flatmate. She was a world-famous designer for dragons and their humans (Laurence startled a little at Temeraire's rather forceful emphasis on " ** _their_** _"_ ) and she was very successful. 

_"Yeah, that's my girl,"_ said Granby with obvious pride in his voice. Which led to a feeling of bubbling confusion in Laurence's head owing to the fact that his brain had just gleefully connected the words " _dragon_ " and " _girlfriend_ ". He resolved to ask Temeraire about it later. 

\---

Laurence fumed. Silently, yes, but nonetheless so intensely it made the skin on his head itch. Months, **months** of hard work had gone into his and Temeraire's code; they had worked so **hard** to accomplish everything the government had specified, hell, they had even cooperated with the German secret service and now this should all go to waste? Just because some French bloke and his dragon colleague came breezing in, presenting a similar product they had apparently developed with a fraction of the cost and in only half the time? It was simply impossible! 

The fact that the man had the audacity to call himself Napoleon had not deterred the government in the least from willingly, no, even zealously buying the code from him, all the while singing him and his colleague Lien from China hymns of praise. The nerve of that man! It was infuriating. Laurence and Temerair had been so confident that their code was the best on the market and now this! 

( _“Confidence is ignorance - if you’re feeling cocky that’s because there is something you don’t know”_ he heard Mr. Tharkay’s voice in his head. Laurence had stopped asking himself why that man kept popping up in his thoughts uninvitedly and grudgingly accepted this piece of wisdom.)

Temeraire was just as put out as Laurence, and that at least was a little comfort. The two of them had started to share so much of their life that Laurence couldn't even remember what life had been like without Temeraire - without dinners at his flat with Iskierka and Granby, without going flying with him in the morning, without reading complex academic literature together or without having endless discussions about anything and everything. Especially the latter satisfied both of them immensely. Laurence had never felt more alive or more in tune with another living being than he felt now with Temeraire. Every day spent with him was a little adventure and Laurence was thrilled. 

At present, however, they were both struggling to uncover where exactly things had gone haywire and had had little success with their endeavour so far.

_"You should take a look at the French code. You will never know where you messed up if you don't know what you are competing against."_

Mr. Tharkay was leaning against the door (and in real life, too, not only in Laurence’s head) and looked like he had stepped straight out of the " _100 sexiest men alive_ " magazine. It truly was unfair, Laurence mused bitterly, how the man always, **always** seemed to look exactly the way he wanted to look. Whether it was blending in with the furniture to the degree of disappearing completely or getting Laurence all hot and bothered owing to the fact that Mr. Tharkay had exactly the kind of cheekbones and hands (HANDS!) which made Laurence just a little too weak in the knees. And that Mr. Tharkay somehow managed to accentuate even more through his clothing. 

It was unarguably unfair.

_"I beg your pardon?"_

It seemed Laurence would forever and again end up asking this question when meeting Mr. Tharkay. He clenched his teeth. 

_"The French code. You should look at it. I have seen your work and it was remarkable. You need a comparison - you didn't make a mistake, the French were simply better. So know thine enemy and check their code."_

And with a swish of his coat, he was gone.

_"Was that a compliment?"_ Laurence asked Temeraire, a little befuddled. 

_"Of course it was. Tenzing always tells the truth in these matters and I think we should follow his advice."_

Well, yes, they probably should.

\---

Perscitia was deep in conversation with Immortalis, Iskierka's business partner when they arrived. Laurence had gotten used to the fact that Temeraire's and Iskierka's flat was basically the home base of about a dozen dragons coming and going at all times. Little, however, who was accompanying Laurence for the first time, looked stunned. 

In a hushed whisper, he asked _"Do they all live here?"_

" _Oh no, it's only me and Iskierka living here officially. Our landlord Requiescat has complained once or twice about our amount of guests, but we just added another cow to our monthly rent and he left it at that. Ohh look, there is Maximus! And Kulingile! How splendid!"_

Little looked as though he would assess the splendidness of the situation rather differently, but nodded timidly nonetheless. 

While Temeraire left off to greet his guests, Laurence ventured to introduce Little to the dragons and humans he already knew. Iskierka was her usual glamorous and scary self, prompting Perscitia to roll her eyes in her direction, murmuring something about _"fire breathers and their attitude"_ before taking her leave. With her gone, Immortalis joined their conversation, just when Laurence had stated " _everyone, this is my flatmate Augustine Little"_ and Little had rushed to add that he'd rather be called " _just Little if you please_ ". 

A long, awkward pause followed. 

Laurence was perplexed; he wasn't used to either Granby or Iskierka being so quiet. It was actually starting to border on rude. And Immortalis was staring so intently at Little it made Laurence’s skin crawl.

Iskierka's eyes had narrowed down to slits and they flitted from Granby to Little to Granby to Little to Granby to - Laurence felt dizzy just watching her. He was about to ask her something - anything - to finally break the silence when Granby grabbed his arm, exclaimed " _excuse us a moment_ " (rather loudly, too) and pushed him into the adjoining room.

" _God, Laurence, give a man a warning, will you? How was I supposed to know he would be - I mean - fuck me dead I don't even have the words to - wow!"_

Laurence could only stare in utter incomprehension at the pacing Granby while he kept muttering and turning. Then he stopped abruptly, faced Laurence, and asked " _How do I look_?"

" _Uhhmm… fine?"_

" _Just fine? Bloody hell, ohh Laurence, where is my hat?! Iskierka always tells me to keep it close in case such a situation arises! Well, there is nothing for it, my outfit will have to do_."

He needn't have worried though, as soon as they were back in the main hall Iskierka launched herself at Granby, handing him the hat (" _The hat is paramount, Laurence!"_ ), which had lost nothing of its monstrous appearance whatsoever, and - for the finishing touch - helped Granby attach a golden hook to the stump of his arm. A golden hook with real diamonds. Laurence blinked.

Thus equipped, Granby turned to Little and Laurence became witness to a full-fledged Granby charm attack on his flatmate. By the end of it, Granby had his good arm around Little's shoulder and kept his dazzling smile and a rambling stream of compliments going; Little had blushed a fiery red but did not really seem to mind while Immortalis looked rather indignant. Iskierka was mixing cocktails behind the bar and, following a silent cue from Granby, presented Little with a cocktail that looked barely drinkable and - to top it off - was on fire. 

Laurence had a headache.

\---

_"Ohh, you poor creature!",_ Granby exclaimed and laughed. 

It was another evening a few weeks later and another excellent dinner at Temeraire's. They had just eaten a five-course menu - Temeraire attached great importance to haute cuisine and had presented them today with a new creation called " _Surprising Rice"_ \- and Laurence felt the pleasant drowsiness of an evening spent with good food and even better company. Granby, Little, and Mr. Tharkay as well as Temeraire, Iskierka, and Immortalis were seated around the large dining table and Laurence felt comfortable enough in their presence to even loosen his tie a bit. 

A moment ago Temeraire had sighed loudly (and with an air of great suffering) and proceeded to tell them that his next medical check-up at _"Keynes & Dorset - dragon internists" _ was due tomorrow.

_"I bet they will make me eat bananas again"_ , he remarked glumly. _"I hate bananas. I cannot even stand the sight of them anymore since that blasted time in South Africa!"_

This statement was made quite forcefully, and with his ruff standing up in all directions. With that kind of petulant expression on his face he could have rivaled a five year old, mid-tantrum. _“Whatever they’re paying me, it isn’t enough.”_

Immortalis gave him a pointed look whereas Iskierka remarked viciously _"Oh yes, you were the one suffering back then, weren't you? Being shipped to South Africa in business class, lounging away under the African sun and eating lots of exotic food - you must have had it bad!"_

_"Iskierka",_ Immortalis somehow always managed to draw the attention of everyone around him without having to raise his voice and also, Laurence noted, without having to resort to the more dramatic approach Iskierka and sometimes even Temeraire favoured, _"ungratefulness is not a good look on you. And Temeraire, you know we are all thankful for the services you rendered us. I will never forget the vice-like grip of that virus on my lungs and I appreciate your dedication immensely. Let's hope they will soon find a vaccine and then you won't have to be a guinea pig for science anymore."_

_"Yes, yes, that is all very well, but that lockdown cost me a century of my life, at least! Sitting at home all day, not being able to fly and leave the flat. It was unbearable"_ Iskierka grumbled, wrathful jets of steam erupting from her spikes and fogging up Laurence's glasses. 

_"Oh come now, it is not as if you followed those social isolation rules to the letter. I heard you sneaking out of the house at least a dozen times and thank heavens for that. You were a real terror during lockdown!"_

Granby only narrowly escaped being hit on the head by Iskierka's tail. The tail -- having missed Granby and still being in full swing -- caught Laurence instead with full force in the chest and barreled him against Mr. Tharkay, flinging both of them across the room. They landed in an awkward heap of tangled limbs on the floor of the adjoining kitchen. 

Laurence felt dizzy and immediately regretted indulging in **all** five courses of the dinner this liberally. His stomach protested painfully as Mr. Tharkay made to help him to his feet. Dimly, Laurence registered Granby's voice in the background, congratulating Iskierka on her tail-shooting range, which the dragon in question accepted with a gracious _"Why thank you, I have been practicing."_

He blamed the sudden closeness to Mr. Tharkay for what followed next -- being able to smell Mr. Tharkay's aftershave (and of course he would use one of Laurence's favourite brands) and seeing his freshly shaven skin up close made Laurence jerk away as if burned, with the inevitable result of him banging his head nicely on the low slung kitchen door next to him. Why ever there were low slung doors in this flat in the first place when there were quite spacious and dragon-sized doors right next to them Laurence did not understand, but it didn't matter because -- _"Owww! Ohh, for Christ's sake!"_ \-- it bloody hurt.

It was not often that Laurence felt the urge to curse. But at this moment he would have gladly let loose a string of insults that would have made his Navy colleagues proud.

Temeraire was already hurrying over, simultaneously calling out to Laurence and craning his neck around to shoot furious daggers at Iskierka, thereby only narrowly escaping banging his own head on one of Iskierka's heavy chandeliers. 

He gently supported Laurence to an upright position and then subjected him to a thorough full-body examination until finally he was satisfied Laurence wasn't hurt too badly. His attention turned to Mr. Tharkay and while the other man was busy fending off Temeraire's probing claws, Laurence seized the chance to surreptitiously observe him. 

It somehow relieved him to find the other man a little discomposed. Nothing compared to Laurence of course, who could already feel a bruise the size of an elephant bottom bloom on his face (and where did that comparison come from?), accompanied by a bump at least the size of a melon. But it was a consolation to see Mr. Tharkay's hair a little rumpled and his legs a bit wobbly. 

Temeraire ushered them back to the table and the rest of the evening passed in a more pleasant and uneventful fashion. 

*

Laurence was in the middle of gathering his coat and searching for his briefcase when Mr. Tharkay appeared out of thin air, very close to him, handing him the latter.

_"Mr. Laurence, are you feeling better?"_

Laurence could only nod stupidly and silently accepted his briefcase from Mr. Tharkay. 

Mr. Tharkay's eyes searched his face (and made Laurence all the more aware of probably looking like a butchering accident) until finally, a brief smile flitted over his face and he murmured _"Well then,_ _good night, Mr. Laurence_ " in that slightly scratchy voice of his. 

Laurence felt dizzy again, and uncomfortably warm besides, but before Mr. Tharkay could vanish he blurted " _pleasecallmewill_ " -- not quite, but almost intolerably rude.

A real smile appeared on Mr. Tharkay's face.

_"Well then -- good night, Will."_

Laurence took a breath.

\---

_"Laurence, Laurence!!_ **_Where_ ** _are you going?!"_

Laurence turned around in astonishment. He had just finished work and was now on his way to dinner at his mother's. She had complained Laurence hadn't visited her in nearly a whole month and that a mother's heart could only take as much. Being the dutiful son he was, he had immediately arranged to go to her the next evening, i.e. today. Temeraire had been in a meeting when Laurence had finished up and thus he had left him one of the customary notes they had started to deposit at the other's desk when saying goodbye in person was not possible. 

_"Laurence, we will be late! And you are going quite in the wrong direction!_ " 

A large blue eye spied at him indignantly from high above and finally, Laurence's faculties caught up with the situation and he hastily contrived to answer Temeraire.

_"Temeraire, I beg your pardon, I don't have any idea what you are talking about. I am on my way to my mother. I -"_

An awkward silence followed while Laurence frantically searched for the words to explain to Temeraire that - while his mother would certainly welcome Temeraire as an additional guest for the evening - he would most likely cause her quite the distress for putting her on the spot like that. He doubted that any human-sized apartment in his mother's vicinity had enough food in stock to provide for a spontaneous guest of twenty-tons. 

_"- bought her flowers."_ he finished the sentence, somewhat lamely.

Temeraire looked...well if Laurence wasn't completely mistaken, the dragon looked hurt.

_"You bought those flowers for your mother?"_

_"Well… yes, of course?"_

Laurence was more mystified by the minute. 

Temeraire's ruff drooped and he started to furrow the ground in front of him with his talons. Considering the fact that they were standing right next to one of the city's largest streets, Temeraire was about to do substantial damage to the road surface. The traffic light next to them was already swaying precariously. 

Hurriedly, Laurence stepped in between Temeraires talons, which effectively put an end to the furrowing. The dragon lowered his head even more and Laurence hesitantly reached out his hand to stroke along Temeraires nostrils. The skin there was so soft it gave Laurence goosebumps. 

_"Please, Temeraire, I can see that you are distressed; only I truly do not have an inkling why. Help me understand?"_

The ruff drooped even lower if that was possible, and Temeraire seemed crestfallen when he said _"It seems I have misinterpreted the signs after all",_ which of course did nothing whatsoever to clarify the situation to Laurence. 

" _Iskierka told me that I had waited long enough and that you surely had already given your consent, considering your behaviour in the last months."_

Whatever he was talking about, if Iskierka was involved, things could get very scary very fast and it was thus with a growing degree of alarm that Laurence prepared himself for the coming sentences. 

_"We have been spending so much time together, you and I, and I -- well, I was under the impression you enjoyed that as much as I did. And you had started to leave all these notes and retweeted my tweets and so I thought -- and Iskierka said I had already waited too long at the time with Tharkay and that I should give it a try NOW -- and maybe -- but I was wrong, wasn't I?"_ , he ended with a very small voice.

Laurence was still on a very different page than Temeraire, but a gut feeling told him that Temeraire was somehow talking about the state of **their** relationship. Granby had told Laurence that draco-human friendships could get incredibly intense sometimes and maybe that was a place to start. Seeing Temeraire in a state of such distress made Laurence's heart clench.

_"Temeraire, I must admit that I still don't understand what reason I have given you to feel so rejected by me, but please believe me when I tell you I never meant to cause such sadness. Our friendship is indisputably the best workplace relationship I could have ever wished for and I thought you knew that?"_

_"So you only see us as colleagues?"_

Laurence was perplexed. 

Come to think of it, he actually did **not** think of them as only colleagues.

_"No, … no I don't think I do",_ he answered slowly, biding his time. His brain was about to connect two very important dots, he could feel it. There was just -- 

_"I've been spending more time with you than with anybody else in the last months, you are right. And I cannot deny that it has been most enjoyable indeed and --"_

_Ah_.

The proverbial penny had dropped. Loudly. His brain cells had finally connected the dots. 

Laurence swallowed heavily.

_"And you are my best friend."_

The world around him turned and spun and then he was flying with Temeraire and the dragon was roaring with sheer delight.

A few strong beats of Temeraires wings later they landed on a hill overlooking the city. In the distance, Laurence could see the now completely collapsed traffic light, all lamps cheerfully blinking at the same time.

_"Laurence, ohhh Laurence, I am so very happy to hear you say so! Because I think so as well, truly! Only I was so afraid just now that I had read the signs all wrong and then you said that you had bought the flowers for your mother and that made me question everything."_

_"Temeraire"_ , Laurence placed his hand again on those nostrils and smiled, _"why would it distress you if I bought my mother flowers?"_ He could not give them to her now anyway, crumpled as they were after the flight. 

Temeraire actually looked sheepish.

_"Granby buys Iskierka flowers all the time."_

_Ahhhh_.

" _And_ " -- if possible, the sheepish aura around him intensified even more -- _"now that you are_ **_my_ ** _human, I had thought -- well, I had thought you had bought them for me."_

**His** human? 

Laurence spared a second to think whether it bothered him to be Temeraire's human. Then he squared his shoulders, clutched the flowers a little tighter, and took a step back.

_"Temeraire, you are my best friend and I have only just realised how much you mean to me. I will buy you proper flowers tomorrow, but for now -- will you accept -- will you be_ **_my_ ** _dragon?"_

Laurence almost stumbled to the ground, so strongly did Temeraire nose and nuzzle him with joy. Then, with a strong and powerful jump, Temeraire lifted himself up into the air, Laurence at the base of his neck, and together they flew into the sunset. 

It was almost romantic, Laurence thought.

*

_"Temeraire, where are we going?"_

_"Why, to Immortalis of course. He invited us for dinner."_

_"I don't recall receiving an invitation. Are you sure I am included?"_

_"Very sure, Laurence. You are my human and thus included into every invitation directed at me."_

_"Thank you, my -- my dear. I feel honoured."_

*

_"What did you mean when you said you had waited too long with Tharkay at the time?"_

_"Oh, you know, with Tharkay working for the secret service and all that, I tried asking him but he shut me down very quickly. Something about his own conscience and living independently as an essential requirement for the job or something along those lines."_

_"Oh. I am sorry he turned you down."_

_"Don't worry, Laurence, it is perfectly alright now, isn't it?"_

*

_"Little? What are you doing here?"_

They had finally arrived at Immortalis' flat and Laurence was astonished when they were greeted by Little. It was a small consolation to see that his flatmate was equally taken aback. 

_"Laurence, good to see you! I thought you were visiting your mum today?"_

_"I wanted to. But then Temeraire and I had some… important things to discuss and now I'm here."_

_"Temeraire!"_ Immortalis made to join them, coming from the kitchen judging by the delicious smell wafting after him. As he got sight of Laurence, he stopped in his track and cast a critical look between him and Temeraire. After a beat, he enquired with evident satisfaction in his voice _"Then you, too, have been successful in your endeavour?"_

_"Oh Immortalis, I have so much to tell you!"_ Temeraire exclaimed happily and the two dragons - each casually lifting their respective human onto their back without even looking - joyfully made their way into the garden. 

Little caught Laurence's gaze. He grinned sheepishly.

" _Well…_ ", he said.

Laurence agreed.

*

_"Would you mind dropping me off at my mother's? I am four hours late for our dinner and I would like to introduce you to her. It might dissuade her from killing me on the spot for not answering my phone."_

_"No one will kill you while I'm around!"_ Temeraire almost somersaulted mid-flight from indignation, but Laurence only laughed and snuggled up to Temeraires neck. 

He was happy.

\---

_"TEMERAIRE!"_

Laurence almost jumped out of his skin while Temeraire gave an undignified squeak, not at all befitting for a dragon his size. 

Granby came striding into their office, a thunderous look on his face.

_"Where have you been?!?"_

Granby halted mere inches from Temeraires face, shooting daggers from his eyes. 

_"Granby! What a surprise! What are you doing here? Why ar--"_

_"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"_ bellowed Granby. 

Temeraire stared at him wide-eyed. 

Laurence had recovered a little from his initial shock and thought it might be wise to intervene. Granby looked as though he might literally explode any minute and Laurence wasn't quite sure what he would be capable of, with that iron hook of his and maybe even with that hat.

_"John, take a breath. I am sure we can talk about whatever is distressing you so, but might I suggest you take a seat first, and maybe a cup of coffee, before we continue?"_

_"No, I will talk to Temeraire now, damn you, and just in the way I like!"_ Even Granby's hat looked upset. 

Rounding on Temeraire again, he continued _"Do you have even the faintest idea what I had to go through in the last weeks? DO YOU, TEMERAIRE? Because I thought lockdown was bad, but ohhh NO I was thoroughly mistaken in my assessment."_

A guilty look had crept over Temeraires face. His ruff drooped suspiciously low.

_"HA! I knew it! You bloody well know that you have been remiss in your duties and I -- not you, oh no, --_ **_I_ ** _had to suffer for it."_

Laurence had gotten used to not understanding a word of the draco-human conversations around him and usually, it didn't bother him. Temeraire was always quick to come to his aid and explain things. However, the latter did not seem to be in the position to do anything other than contritely evading Granby's blazing gaze, and remaining silent. And being Temeraire's human now, Laurence felt at least a little bit entitled to intervene and come to his defence. 

_"John, please, what is the matter?"_

Turning around to face Laurence, Granby shuddered and took a deep breath. 

_“Has this one here ever told you why he is living together with my Iskierka? Even though they cannot stand the sight of each other most of the time?”_

Laurence rummaged in his memories, but -- quite surprisingly -- he couldn’t remember Temeraire ever telling him about his living arrangements. Both of the dragons surely made enough money to rent a flat alone, Laurence estimated, and come to think of it, they **were** quarrelling most of the time. 

_“Ahhh yes, I thought so. Well then, while the two of you have been enjoying your honeymoon -- congratulations on that, by the way, I am ever so thrilled, Laurence -- Iskierka has gotten very restless. Because --”_ and here he turned around again to give Temeraire a meaningful look, _“her mate is not there to take care of her.”_

Her mate? Laurence had never thought about dragons and their...he blushed uncomfortably. 

_“You see, dragons are not overly fond of romance, but they do enjoy a good romp now and then, especially when they know that their offspring will be an exceptionally fine dragon. Iskierka and Temeraire have already produced an egg together and their daughter Ning is currently in China, graduating top of her class at one of the country’s finest universities.”_

Hearing this, Temeraire brightened visibly and made to say something, but Granby’s thunderous look returned, prompting him to literally shut his mouth, his jaws colliding with an audible “ _clack_ ”. 

_“And now that you have gotten to know Iskierka and Temeraire a bit better, you will agree with me they are both quite particular about their own magnificence with all that breath of fire and divine wind nonsense, and they will not just mate with anyone. Oh no, my dragon is an obstinate, headstrong girl and she will not mate with anyone except for Temeraire. And while I agree with her in principle -- she can fuck whomever she likes and I do not care a wit about that -- it is very difficult to live with a dragon who is constantly on edge, seeing as her mate is busy making heart eyes at his human.”_

Laurence was speechless. Of all the things Granby could have been angry about, he would have never suspected **this**.

_“What is all this noise about?”_

Oh no. 

Groaning inaudibly, Laurence reluctantly turned around to face Arthur Hammond and Churki from H&D Resources. 

_“Hello, Arthur. Churki. How are you?”_

Hammond completely ignored the question and instead demanded to know _“Who is this man and why have you let him into the company grounds? This is a highly secure building and only authorised personnel are permitted in here! The management is very particular about that, Laurence, you know that! ”_

Granby’s answering look chilled the room by a few degrees at least, before he icily turned one last time to Temeraire.

_“Temeraire, you must stop this. There is a limit as to how much draconic sexual innuendo a man can take and I have reached mine! We are leaving for our show in Moscow in a week; you’d better be home before that!”_

And with his coat swishing and his hook gleaming in the neon light of the office, he was gone. Temeraire mumbled something about _“better get going then”_ , exchanged a knowing look with Churki, and hurried out of the office, calling after Granby. That left Laurence, Churki, and Hammond -- with a towering mountain of unanswered questions and at least as much awkwardness next to them. 

Churki turned around to Arthur and eyed him with a queer look. 

_“You know, Arthur, I have been wondering about that date I set you up on. You never told me -- was it a success? That Jane woman from the marketing department?”_

Arthur turned a very pale shade of white, almost matching the exact tone of his shirt. Staring intently at anything and anyone other than Churki, he stammered something about _“very nice woman … a bit … you know? … how was I supposed to know you don’t comment on someone’s scars ...on the first date? ...a bit forceful...that vase really hurt…not **her** maybe?” _

Churki gave a sigh, not unlike the ones Laurence’s mother uttered whenever she pressed him to talk about his love life. Hammond hastened to leave the room and, with a last look to Laurence indicating _“Do you see what I have to put up with every day?”_ , Churki left as well. 

His head brimming with details he had never asked for in the first place, Laurence slowly and with a great effort turned back to his work assignment. 

_“Well, that certainly was entertaining!”_

_“How -- Oh Christ -- why -- !! --”_

Never had someone scared the living daylights out of Laurence like Mr. Tharkay at this moment. He was still spluttering, while adrenalin flooded his body and his brain tried to make sense of the image of Mr. Tharkay stepping seemingly OUT OF THE WALL, just like that! 

Mr. Tharkay grinned. He clearly enjoyed a dramatic entrance. 

_“Temeraire invited me to spend the day at your office, as I am currently in between missions and I do delight in spending my days here, so I happily agreed.”_

_“Well he should have told me about that invitation; after all, it is not only his office.”_

Mr. Tharkay raised an eyebrow. 

_“He said you wouldn’t mind given the fact that you -- what were his exact words? Ahh, yes -- ‘he does like looking at you, Tenzing’ -- and have not minded spending time in my company so far.”_

For the second time this day, Laurence found he utterly lacked the capacity to form a coherent sentence. He could also feel the fierce desire to be swallowed by the floor and disappear forever rising in his stomach with considerable strength. 

Mr. Tharky looked at him expectantly. When it became obvious that Laurence would not answer, he added _“Well, do you?”_ It sounded a bit too… tentative for his usual tones. 

_“Do I what?”_ Laurence croaked.

Mr. Tharkay cleared his throat, a little embarrassed if Laurence wasn’t mistaken, and took a step forward. He was now standing directly in front of Laurence’s desk. 

_“Do you...like looking at me?”_

Oh, Gods above!

The adrenalin from before came back with full force and Laurence was horrified to **see** his fingers shaking. If he could see it, surely Mr. Tharkay would notice it too. Everything in the room suddenly seemed to be diminished in its intensity, Laurence’s mind focusing with brutal force on Mr. Tharkay and the ground beneath his feet. If he stood up fast enough, he could make it to the door before Mr.Tharkay even --- no, no, no, this would not do.

Laurence was many things, but he had never thought himself a coward. There was nothing for it. He took a deep breath and --

_“Maybe?”_

The word hung in the room, floating indecisively between them, the crackling of the neon lamps above too loud.

Then, Mr. Tharkay smiled. A real, beautiful smile. Sound and light and colours came rushing back to Laurence. 

_“Tenzing. Please call me Tenzing.”_

Laurence smiled back.

\---

_“Are you sure there were no other models to be found? Certainly, there must be someone else who is much more qualified for this!”_

_“No, Laurence, you look splendid. And you have practiced with Tenzing and Little, have you not? You will all look quite magnificent I am sure, even though you will look best, Laurence, don’t you agree?”_

Laurence did not agree, not in the least. But he could not tell Temeraire so and thus settled for a silent nod, hoping his despair and misery did not shine through. 

They had arrived in Moscow the previous day - Iskierka, Temeraire, and Immortalis with their respective humans in tow and with Tenzing _“because it is always nice to have him around, Laurence, is it not?”_ Well yes, it was nice. Still a little unsettling, but infinitely more enjoyable, now that they were friendly with each other. And occasionally flirting if Laurence wasn’t quite mistaken. 

Iskierka’s fashion show in Moscow was meant to be the crowning finish, the flourishing climax of a series of highly successful shows around the globe -- the shows in Cape Town, Macao, Peking, Istanbul, Berlin, Brasilia, Paris, just to name a few, had been roaring box-office hits, filling the fashion magazines with gossip material for the next century at least. Tickets were thus difficult to come by -- dragons all over the world were dying to get to see her new collection and admire Granby’s obligatory firework at the end of each show. They were often accompanied by their humans, though their level of enthusiasm could never quite compare to that of the dragons. 

Laurence was beginning to understand this lack of enthusiasm better with each passing minute. Having arrived yesterday, they had to discover with dismay that someone had apparently bribed all the hitherto engaged models for the show -- dragons and humans -- and literally nobody was left who could present the precious pieces of art to the fashion-hungry crowd the coming day. The venue, at least, was still available and Maximus and Kulingile were already setting up everything needed for the catering. Being the owners of the world's only draconic fast-food chain -- McDragon -- they had been contracted by Immortalis to take care of the culinary wellbeing of their guests all over the world. 

Now Iskierka, Immortalis, and Granby were faced with the dilemma of having sold out an entire show pavilion without being able to present anything due to the lack of models. Granby promised to investigate what exactly had happened, while Iskierka suddenly turned to Laurence, Little, and Tharkay and eyed them critically. A few minutes of silent and not so silent communication between her and Immortalis followed, which ended with her stating _“oh very well then, come over here, I will make due and see what we can make fitting for you. And Immortalis, pray ask Maximus and Kulingile also, and maybe someone can contact Lily and Dulcia -- the tiaras cannot possibly be worn by any of you here!”_

Laurence had by no means conceded to be a model for Iskierka, but lucky for him, his consent was not necessary at all. Temeraire was ecstatic with seeing Laurence in heavy green silk robes, embroidered with so many glittering, sparkling and shining things that Laurence felt his eyesight deteriorate every time he looked at himself in the mirror. Little was faring not much better and -- to the satisfaction of the petty part of Laurence -- Tenzing was forced not only to wear a similar robe, but also a matching hat of colossal proportions. His joy was short-lived, however, because Granby reappeared, critically measured Laurence up with his eye, and topped him off with a hat no less elephantine than Tenzing’s. Laurence could **feel** Tenzing's laughter on his skin. 

Hours of practicing an especially developed catwalk -- Iskierka insisted it was a more festive and dignified version of the human fashion catwalk -- had Laurence believe he would never be able to walk properly again, until finally, Iskierka was satisfied and let them rest for the remaining hours before the start of the show. 

The guests slowly started to trickle in and the ranks in the pavilion began to fill with dragons and humans alike. The Russian audience clearly came prepared for the illustrious occasion -- polished breastplates gleaming in the lantern light, talon sheats similar to the ones Temeraire would be presenting at the show clicking on the marble floor. 

Laurence was beginning to feel nervous -- nothing in his life had prepared him for a moment like this and he did not at all feel up to the task. Tenzing and Little next to him also seemed to be lost in thought, whereas Temeraire, Maximus, Kulingile, and Immortalis could not get enough of standing in front of the dragon-sized mirrors, admiring their various jewelry adorned body parts and excitedly shaking out their wings. Lily and Dulcia had made it just in time for Iskierka to suit them up with matching tiaras and silk straps around their necks while the fashion creator herself was currently busy directing Gong Su -- the chief executive assistant at McDragon -- to outfit her with a series of jewelry chains containing little silver bells. The bells chimed every time Iskierka let out steam -- which was pretty much all the time. Laurence was sure he could feel a migraine coming. He had never had a migraine before, but the sheer extent of his current headache convinced him that this must be what a migraine felt like. 

He sighed. Tenzing caught his eye and smiled ruefully. Laurence was sure he was about to say something when Granby came sprinting down the corridor, barreling into the room, shouting _“Iskierka! ISKIERKA!”_

The attention in the room immediately focused on his panting form and silence followed, broken only by the bells and Iskierka’s hiss of steam. Granby held up his hand indicating _“give me a minute”_ while bracing himself on Iskierka’s foreleg. She nosed at him worriedly. 

_“The models”,_ he produced at last, _“I know where they are!”_

A flurry of questions and indignant outcries followed. By the end of it, Laurence understood so much -- Napoleon and his dragon Lien were in Moscow. Lien had been an avid follower of Iskierka’s shows until last summer when she had decided to launch her own brand. Iskierka’s success this season must have been the cause of some jealousy as there was no other explanation why the two of them had decided to hold their final show in Moscow as well -- even though it should have taken place in Dresden according to the " _Vogue_ ". And now they had offered all of Iskierka's models twice as much compensation and an all-inclusive holiday on Napoleon's private island, St. Helena on top if they would come and work for them instead. 

Everyone was fuming by the end of Granby’s explanations and it was quickly decided that Lien and Napoleon needed to learn their place in the fashion world. A peculiar fighting spirit had descended upon them all and suddenly, Laurence found himself quite willing to display his most festive and dignified catwalk and contribute his part to the show to the best of his abilities. His migraine was pushed to the background of his mind and he very nearly missed Tenzings hand brushing his, and a whispered _“good luck”_ before he made his way onto the stage. He tried not to dwell on it because a festive and dignified catwalk was in no way compatible with the nervous butterflies going berserk in his stomach just at the thought of Tenzing’s hand touching his own. 

The show was everything Iskierka could have hoped for. The Russian audience whooped and cheered, clicked their talons, and wagged their tails. They were smitten with everything and everyone. The longing gazes directed at the models made Laurence think that he could understand now how any treasure must feel in the face of dragons -- the desire for Iskierka’s fashion was almost palpable in the air. 

At long last Granby and Iskierka entered the stage, in all their glory and accompanied by the sound of Iskierka’s bells. 

_“Ladies and gentlemen, dear dragons! We are honoured to have had you as our guests this evening, to share with you the true art of dragon fashion and that of their companions._

_To make this last show truly special we have decided to change the location of our traditional firework. Please follow us to the extra venue where you will behold our newest piece of art. It is unlike anything you have ever seen -- we call it 'The dancing Napoleon' and we are thrilled beyond measure to present it to you! Follow us and when we have reached our destination, please feel free to fly around the venue to admire our art from all angles!”_

A cloud of dragons emerged from the show pavilion, led by Iskierka and Temeraire. Laurence found himself bundled up in Temeraire’s talons, right next to Tenzing. They could hear the dragons' excited chattering and the impatient flapping of wings while the city passed under them like a surreal painting. 

It was quite comfortable down here; the talons shielding them from the whipping wind, the robes keeping them neatly warm. Laurence dared to glance at Tenzing and was mesmerized by the other man. Even God knows how many feet in the air, with a ridiculous hat on his head and wearing robes as expensive as they were silly, Tenzing was beautiful. 

_“You know,”_ the man in question started, _“I have a small cottage up in the peaks. Would you -- would you like to accompany me there? When this is over?”_ Laurence thought he detected a note of vulnerability in the question. 

He looked down at their hands resting next to each other. Gently taking Tenzing’s hand in his and threading their fingers together, he took a deep breath and answered _“Yes, I would. I would like that very much.”_

Tenzing beamed and Laurence laughed. 

Before they could do anything other than smiling radiantly at each other, they arrived at Lien’s pavilion and became witness to John Granby directing his dragon to set aflame the fireworks he had had discretely installed on the sidelines of the other show pavilion. Napoleon and Lien had just entered the stage to say their goodbyes and now Napoleon was indeed dancing -- he sprang and jumped, ducked, and skidded over the floor to escape the well-placed firecrackers swishing around the stage and very nearly missing his head. Lien seemed to be frozen in place, transfixed at the sight of lords, ladies and dragons of her realm running about like demented chickens. 

With Granby and Iskierka cackling wildly and their Russian audience shouting with delight, their company took off for their hotel to fly back home. 

It was ridiculous to feel so happy, Laurence thought, but he could not bring himself to care. He would simply learn to be content with being happier than he deserved. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A few things:
> 
> 1\. Perscitia and Wellington quote a popular Brexit meme which I have altered a bit for my purposes. I couldn't find the original source; please google "Brexit unicorn" if you are interested. And also #ilovethelastleg, go check them out if you don't know them yet!
> 
> 2\. I have no knowledge of computer linguistics and programming whatsoever. If you are in this admirable profession (and I do mean that, you are basically a magician to me), I thank you for humouring me and ignoring any errors on my part for the sake of the story
> 
> 3\. I always thought that Granby and Iskierka would be so much more terrifying if Granby - instead of trying to discipline and train Iskierka - was just like "YAAASSS GURL, Let's be pirates together!" and I love the idea of them having their backs in romantic endeavours
> 
> 4\. Check out lychee_jelly's fanart - I was trying and failing in my endeavour to imagine what modern dragon flats might look like. But I needn't have worried, lychee_jelly took care of that already. So go check it out if you want to know where my Temeraire lives, and also because her Temeraire and Iskierka are simply gorgeous to look at!
> 
> 5\. English punctuation is a nightmare for me and makes no sense to me at all :D So shout out to Grammarly for saving me here and apologies for all the commas and apostrophes I still got wrong :D 
> 
> 6\. Easter eggs  
> \--> “Confidence is ignorance. If you're feeling cocky that's because there's something you don't know.” - Foaly in “Artemis Fowl” by Eoin Colfer
> 
> \--> "fuck me dead" - in case this isn't a standing (Australian) expression, all credit belongs to OzzyMan
> 
> \--> “The hat is paramount” - Arthur in “Cabin Pressure”// 3.5 Rotterdam by John Finnemore
> 
> \--> “Surprising Rice” - Arthur in “Cabin Pressure”//1.1 Abu Dhabi by John Finnemore 
> 
> \--> “Whatever they're paying me, it isn't enough.” - Foaly in “Artemis Fowl” by Eoin Colfer (unfortunately, I couldn’t find the exact book of the quote)
> 
> \--> “And banged his head nicely on the low-slung attic door.” - Bartimaeus in “The Amulet of Samarkand” by Jonathan Stroud. I really wanted to include other quotes from Bartimaeus because I love his sarcasm so much but then his particular brand of sarcasm proved to be exactly the problem (it doesn’t go too well with this fic) and so I settled for this. 
> 
> \--> “Obstinate, headstrong girl!” - Catherine de Bourgh in “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
> 
> \--> “He was transfixed at the sight of lords and ladies of his realm running about like demented chickens.” - Bartimaeus in “The Amulet of Samarkand” by Jonathan Stroud. Okay, I did manage to include another one :D
> 
> \--> “I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.” - I thought this quote was from P&P as well, but the internet has taught me better. It is apparently not from P&P, but it is definitely from Jane Austen


End file.
